Model endorses use of an underused medication known to reduce overdose deaths by half
A warmline that will quickly connect people with opioid use disorder to buprenorphine, a potentially lifesaving medication, will launch Sept. 29.
The University of Michigan’s Overdose Prevention Engagement Network, or OPEN, developed the new service with support from the state of Michigan, which provided a $1.5-million grant to address a public health crisis that’s resulted in 12,800 fatal overdoses in the state since 2020.
Initially, the OPEN Warmline will serve people recently released from or under the supervision of the Michigan Department of Corrections before it expands to all Michigan residents. After expansion, the warmline phone number will be widely publicized. Until then, contact [email protected].
A call to the OPEN Warmline, which will be staffed during business hours by health care professionals, will connect callers to same-day telehealth prescribing for buprenorphine, a proven, effective but underutilized treatment for opioid use disorder, or OUD. Insurance will not be required to receive care from the OPEN Warmline.
Patients are seven times more likely to start buprenorphine if given a same-day appointment after an overdose or other urgent health care visit. Buprenorphine helps treat OUD by easing withdrawal, reducing cravings and managing pain.
“This warmline will offer immediate support for individuals who may not know where to go for help or who lack access to existing services for a number of reasons. Being able to streamline their paths toward recovery is a primary goal of this work,” said Amy Bohnert, co-director of OPEN and U-M’s Opioid Research Institute. “Access to timely, evidence-based and patient-centered care is critical for those living with opioid use disorder.”
Additional mentions